CHAIRMAN Jim Rushe is still locked in talks with the taxman to thrash out a deal and rid Northwich Vics of their six-figure debt.

HM Revenue and Customs – owed around £450,000 by the Blue Square North club – have rebuffed two proposal from Rushe for a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

The original bid early last week offered creditors a dividend of 25p in the pound over five years.

Although it is understood none of those owed money by Vics objected to the offer, HRMC asked to Rushe to revise it. He returned an improved bid within 24 hours, but that was also knocked back.

The chairman has now left the matter in the hands of Skelmersdale-based finance experts Refresh Recovery Ltd, currently Vics’ legal owners.

“The administrators (Refresh Recovery Ltd) are now in negotiations with the Inland Revenue to try and resolve the situation and establish what offer they will accept,” Rushe told the Chronicle yesterday, Tuesday.

“I’m expecting to speak to them this week to find out where we’re up to.”

Every creditor was entitled to vote on Rushe’s offers, and in order for the survival bid to be accepted 75% of creditors (in value) must approve the offer.

But it appears it is only HRMC standing in the way of the CVA being agreed, which would pave the way for Rushe to buy Vics back using a new company and complete a £1.3m deal, agreed earlier this year, to purchase the club’s Victoria Stadium home.

He said: “They’ve refused my first offer and my second offer, and we’re now trying to establish what exactly it is they want.

“We’re trying to negotiate a settlement that’s affordable to us and suitable to them, but I’d like to have it sorted sooner rather than later.”

The company – Northwich Victoria Football Club (2004) Ltd – has been in administration since the beginning of May, and start the new season on Saturday with a 10-point penalty as a consequence.

Rushe says he has invested £325,000 of his own money into the club since taking over from Mike Connett in December 2007. But he claims he is willing to write off the cash to preserve Vics’ long-term future.

Vics lost 3-0 at home to former manager Keith Alexander’s Macclesfield Town at the Victoria Stadium on Friday night in their final pre-season friendly.

Fans’ favourite Jonny Allan made his first appearance of the summer in the second half after shaking off a suspected bout of swine flu. Vics drew 0-0 at Nantwich Town on Tuesday night.

Off the field former Farsley Celtic stopper Curtis Aspden has signed a permanent deal after impressing during his recent trial, and becomes the third new goalkeeper to sign this summer.

Aspden, 21, is expected to be Andy Preece’s number one pick between the sticks for Saturday’s curtain raiser at Eastwood Town.